Latest news with #BAI
GMA Network
an hour ago
- Business
- GMA Network
DA cracks down on unregistered hog farms
The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Wednesday said it is cracking down on livestock farms operating without the necessary permits as such facilities distort the country's supply chain and price stability. In a statement, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the DA's Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) has issued show cause orders to nine pig farms in Central Luzon —located in Bulacan, Pampanga, and Tarlac. The Agriculture chief said the nine farms must explain why they continue to operate 'despite bypassing basic health, environmental, and safety regulations.' Tiu Laurel said the lapses could jeopardize national efforts to stabilize pork supply and pricing, especially as the country recovers from the lingering effects of African Swine Fever (ASF). 'As we modernize Philippine agriculture, everyone must understand that unlicensed operations will not be tolerated,' he said. 'Compliance is not optional—it is fundamental to protecting both consumers and the livelihoods of law-abiding farmers,' he added. The Agriculture chief said the move was in line with the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to crack down on unregistered livestock facilities that 'distort the food For his part, acting BAI Director Christian Daquigan said the show cause orders were served shortly after the midterm elections. The BAI is currently evaluating responses from some of the farms, and further enforcement actions may follow. Tiu Laurel said he has also instructed BAI to widen its inspection net and assess the compliance of other swine farms across the country. The DA and BAI continue to review and monitor the operations of animal facilities nationwide to ensure adherence to licensing, health, and safety requirements—part of a broader effort to professionalize the livestock industry and protect public welfare, according to Tiu Laurel. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Central Cambria board hears from prospective solar contractors
EBENSBURG, Pa. – Central Cambria School District's solar project at the Cambria Township campus has been narrowed down to two candidates, and Monday the school board heard from those prospects. BAI Group presented first, followed by McClure Co. and Envinity, which are partnering on the potential work. The order was decided by a coin flip. 'Both were fantastic,' Superintendent Jason Moore said. Thomas Woods, board president, agreed. Woods said the companies have 'solid reputations' in this field and the representatives provided great information. The district is exploring a power purchase agreement in which the chosen company, which will likely be picked at the June 16 meeting, will absorb the cost of installation and upkeep for the solar arrays and sell electricity to Central Cambria at a set rate for the duration of a 28-year contract. Potential array locations include the middle and high school roofs and Cambria Elementary roof as well as potential ground mounted units, such as around the football field or at the former baseball field. Moore said the Jackson Elementary project that recently was awarded a Solar for Schools grant is separate from this undertaking. Sel Edor, BAI general manager of renewables, told the four board members in attendance that his company could provide a roughly 2.5 megawatt array that would supply electricity at a rate of 6.4 cents per kilowatt-hours. 'Obviously, we want to produce as much electricity as you can use,' Edor said. BAI's proposal was for 80% of the campus's total electrical consumption. Central Cambria consumes around 4 million kWh annually at a rate of 11 cents per kWh, for a cost of around $700,000 per year, Moore said. Edor said despite BAI's proposal being 80%, it is possible for the Cambria Township campus to reach 100% offset of consumption. McClure and Envinity's presentation included 100% offset of electrical use at about 9 cents kWh. However, that would mean 'a lot of solar in a lot of places,' Envinity Commercial Solar Development Manager Cam Willison said. Christopher Stultz, McClure vice president of strategic solutions, said the cost per kilowatt-hour may change as well if their proposal is accepted. He told the board the companies would 'value engineer' the project and explore efficiency measures that could impact that cost. Greg Winks, Envinity director of solar business development, and Damian Zampogna, McClure Manager of renewable solutions, presented as well. Both sets of presenters said a ballasted system would be used for roof installation to avoid direct connections to the covering but still secure the arrays. They also projected the installation may extend more than a year. Woods said the reason the board is exploring a solar project is because the district wants to offset costs they can't control, such as electricity, and reinvest those savings back into the education of the students. He also said that when a contractor is chosen, the board will pay close attention to the economic and aesthetic aspects of the undertaking.
The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
For students of Vellarmala school, a new chapter in life
The students of Government Vocational Higher Secondary School at Vellarmala, Wayanad, who had lost their school building in the 2024 landslide, were welcomed to the school's new building on Monday (June 2, 2025) in a grand manner. The new building has been constructed on the premises of Government Higher Secondary School at Meppadi, where the Vellarmala school has been functioning since the landslides, by the Builders' Association of India (BAI), with modern classrooms and toilets. The students were welcomed by the teachers, accompanied by a band. As many as 25 teachers from the High School section, which achieved 100% results in the SSLC, and 11 teachers from the Higher Secondary section, which secured 83% results in Plus Two, were honoured for their 2024–2025 performance. National vice-president of BAI N. Raghunathan inaugurated the event held on the premises of Government Higher Secondary School. Headmaster (in charge) of the High School section V. Unnikrishnan presided over the event. The BAI had planned to construct 12 classrooms and 16 toilets for the school at a cost of ₹3 crore. While eight classrooms and 10 toilets have been completed, the remaining will be finished and handed over by the end of June. The six divisions of the high school, with 250 students, have been transferred to the new building. The two extra rooms are being used as the staff room and laboratory. The water purifier units and public address system set up by BAI at a cost of ₹2 lakh were also handed over during the inauguration. Meanwhile, Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra extended her warm regards to the 'Praveshanolsavam' held in different schools in the region. The district-level Praveshanolsavam was held at Government Higher Secondary School, Munderi. In her message, Ms. Vadra wished that such an occasion would encourage cooperation and creativity among children, besides showcasing their academic and cultural talents.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
BAI unveils Rs 9.75 crore plan to develop grassroots, support coaches and reward medallists
NEW DELHI: Offering monthly retainers to former international coaches, doubling domestic tournament prize money and rewarding international medal-winning performances are part of an investment plan announced by the Badminton Association of India (BAI) as it unveiled a Rs 9.75 crore annual plan to drive the growth of sport in the country. The decision was taken at BAI's Annual General Body Meeting held in the national capital on Saturday. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! With an eye on long-term talent development and international success, the federation allocated Rs 73 lakh to offer monthly retainers to Olympians and former internationals who are now training players at national camps, and earmarked Rs 2.22 crore as direct rewards for Indian shuttlers who win medals at prestigious global events. Out of the Rs 9.75 crore which BAI will spend annually for grassroots initiatives and to help state associations conduct domestic tournaments, the total prize pool and grant allocation for national tournaments stands at Rs 3.8 crore. Under the revised structure, annual grants to state associations have been increased from Rs 7.5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh. BAI will also provide additional support for organising national ranking tournaments across age groups — Rs 3 lakh for U-15 and U-17 events, Rs 2 lakh for Senior and U-19, and Rs 1.5 lakh for U-13. 'Given the size of our country, one NCE was never going to be enough and hence we are providing grants to state associations to come up with development across the state and the current increase in grant will help them enhance their existing programs,' said BAI president Himanta Biswa Sarma . To enhance domestic competition, prize money for national ranking tournaments has been doubled. Senior national ranking events will now offer Rs 10 lakh in prize money, while U-19 events will get Rs 8 lakh, U-15 and U-17 Rs 12 lakh, and U-13 Rs 6 lakh. The total allocation for all National Championships has jumped from Rs 2.13 crore to Rs 3.2 crore, with the Senior Nationals alone seeing an increase from Rs 75 lakh to Rs 1 crore. BAI has also made financial provisions for paying Rs 1 lakh per month to Olympians and Rs 50,000 per month to coaches who have represented the official Indian team in international events and are currently coaching at National Camps held across three locations. To reward international excellence, a cash prize of Rs 20 lakh will be given to a World Championship gold medallist, Rs 10 lakh for a BWF Super 1000 title, and Rs 50 lakh for a team gold at the senior level. Junior team golds will attract Rs 30 lakh, while individual gold medallists at junior World and Asian Championships will receive Rs 15 lakh and Rs 10 lakh respectively. "The needs of up-and-coming players, motivating them and providing them better financial incentives was critical for the development of the sport and chart out a pathway through which the future course,' said Sarma.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Satwik-Chirag lead charge as Indian shuttlers eye glory in Indonesia
Former champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will look to keep their comeback story on track as they spearhead India's challenge at the USD 1,450,000 Indonesia Open Super 1000 badminton tournament, beginning on Tuesday. The former world No. 1 pair, who returned to action after regaining fitness with a creditable semifinal finish at the Singapore Open last week, will be eager to go the distance this week and reclaim the trophy they won in 2023. Currently ranked 27th, Satwik and Chirag are expected to inch closer to the top 20 following their exploits in Singapore. They will open their campaign against the Indonesian duo of Leo Rolly Carnando and Bagas Maulana at the Istora Senayan arena, the spiritual home of badminton. The conditions at Istora suit the Indians and a win could set up a potential clash with their nemesis, Malaysia's Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, who ended their run last week and enjoy a dominant record against the Indian duo. The two had missed the last few weeks of action due to Satwik's health issues and Chirag's lingering back injury, which took time to heal. However, the star pair displayed their trademark brilliance last week when they outclassed the world No. 1 Malaysian duo of Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin with a tactical masterclass en route to the semifinals. READ: Rs 9.75 crore BAI plan to boost grassroots, support coaches and reward medallists Two-time Olympic medallist P V Sindhu will also aim for a deep run following a string of underwhelming performances this year. The 29-year-old suffered a hamstring injury during training in Guwahati in February, which ruled her out of the Asia Team Championships. Since returning, she has lost matches to players such as Thuy Linh Nguyen, Putri Kusuma Wardani, and Kim Ga Eun to make early exit from tournaments. Last week, the 2022 Commonwealth Games champion showed glimpses of her former self before narrowly going down to Tokyo Olympic champion Chen Yu Fei of China in the second round. With new Indonesian coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama in her corner, Sindhu will hope to rediscover her rhythm when she faces a familiar foe in former world champion Nozomi Okuhara of Japan. The duo has shared several nail-biting encounters over the years, with a close head-to-head record reflecting their fierce rivalry. Tuesday's match promises to be another gripping contest as both players attempt to reclaim their stature in world badminton. ALSO READ: Singapore Open: New world no. 1 Kunlavut seals crown in style A win could pit Sindhu, the 2019 World Champion, against Thailand's Pornpawee Chochuwong in the second round. Among others in women's singles, Anupama Upadhyaya will take on Korea's Kim Ga Eun, Rakshitha Sree Ramraj faces Thailand's left-hander Supanida Katethong, while Malvika Bansod meets Indonesia's Putri Kusuma Wardani. In the men's singles, HS Prannoy, a 2023 World Championships bronze medallist, will look to regain form when he takes on Indonesia's Alwi Farhan. Lakshya Sen, the 2021 World Championships bronze medallist, is coming off a back injury that forced him to withdraw from the Malaysia tournament last week. The shuttler from Almora has struggled to hit peak form since his semifinal finish at the Paris Olympics and faces a tough opener against world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi of China. His PPBA academy-mate Kiran George will continue to test himself against the elite as he begins his campaign against former world champion Loh Kean Yew. In the women's doubles, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand—who is also making a slow return from injury—will take on Japan's Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto. India will also be represented by four pairs in mixed doubles: Dhruv Kapila/Tanisha Crasto, Rohan Kapoor/Ruthvika Gadde Shivani, Sathish Karunakaran/Aadya Variyath, and Ashith Surya/Amrutha Pramuthesh.
